The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-07
THE VOLUNTEER IS OFF.
Launch of the Beautiful Steel Sloop at
Wilmington.


A Wilmington dispatch to the New York
Star says: When the whistles announced
knocking off 'time" last night in factories
and ship yards near Christiana creek, every
man and woman, as if by common consent,
quickly made their way to the Pusey & Jones
shipyard, where Gen 'Paine's new steel sloop
the Volunteer, was to be launched.
Everybody in the quaint old town was in
terested in and proud of the handsome yacht
that the strong arms of Wilmington's
mechanics had fashioned into new defender
of the Americas cup. The gates of the yard
were thrown open to the public before q
o'clock, and at $50, when Mr.. Pussy gave
the order, wedge upm a couple of thou
sand people surrounded the Volunteer. The
scene was an impressive and picturesque
one. Women and children in holiday at
tire, perched high up on plank or scaifold,
sat in rows one above the other, forming a
semicircle around the yacht while men
standing in groups below, with folded arms,
discussed the study in steel in front of them
From the rail to the water line the Vol
unteer was painted white, and below that
dark red. In shape she differs radically
from either the Maytiower or Puritan, hav-
ing the appearance of greater sail-carrying
power. Her bow, with its saucy clipper
stem, is higher than the others, the rail
making a graceful sheer aft to the stern,
which in its pronounced overhang is some
what like the Mayhower
No flags floated over the sloop's deck, and
the only persons who We're launched in her
were her designer, Edward Burgess, who
came on from Boston for the purpose; Mr..
Fairman Rogers, owner of the steam yacht
Magnolia, and Second Mate Kennison of the
Mayfower, who will accompany the Volun-
teer to Boston.
NJ xa chT oil
Pusey at 6;35, and five minutes later four
men with crosS-cut saw We're saving in
two the plank that held the big cradle lin
place Everything had been done methodi-
cally and quietly. 1t was just the top of
high water Two tugs with spring lines
waited in the stream to check her The
plank was sawed apart, and the thousands
ashore in silence breathlessly waited. A
couple of turns of lack -screw" under her
''fore foot" was enough.
'She movesr 'FThere she goes! ~
"Splendidn was heard on all sides at 6:45
as the largest American sloop ever built
plowed white furrow in the placid creek,
throwing a wall of water above her shapely
stern, and a moment later floated majesti-
cally in her native element. The multitude
cheered itself hoarse
The crowds rushed to the shore and
climbed up on the ways the Volunteer had
just left to get good look at her afioat and
every word spoken was compliment to the
noble looking craft. AS she lay still after
the launch she was down by the stern"
but it was evident that with her anchors ON
the bow and spars aboard she would ''set
just right" as an old sailor ON the wharf
put it. .ero5
The new sloop was not christened as she
left the ways, but Mr.. Burgess assured the
reporter that Gen. Paine had decided to call
her the Volunteer. She win probably be
christened in Boston, where she will be
towed to receive her spars, rigging and in
terror fittings. leaving Wilmington on Sat
urday.
The following comparisons Of the princi-
pal dimensions of the new candidate for the
defense of the Americas cup with three of
the other big sloops will prove interesting
to all;